Papers relating to Joanna Southcott

The collection consists of 13 items, 10 hand-written records of her writings and 3 printed broadsheets. The non-printed material appears to have been written or copied by one or two individuals. Most of the hand-written items include lines witnessing that the prophecies and sayings were written and recorded directly from Joanna Southcott by Ann Underwood and Jane Townley.

These papers were donated by Wandsworth Public Library in 1969

Joanna Southcott was born in April 1750, the daughter of a Devon farmer. She worked in domestic service in Devon until her early forties, and had a reputation for her religious enthusiasm. In 1792 she began to write prophecies, and claimed that she was the woman mentioned in the 12th chapter of Revelation, who would proclaim the second coming of Christ. She gained many followers, including members of the clergy.

In 1802 she moved to London and lived at High House in Paddington. Here she started the practice of 'sealing' her followers by listing their names on sheets of paper signed and sealed by her. By the beginning of 1805, 10,000 seals had been applied for.

In 1813 she announced, in one of her many books, that she was pregnant with the second Prince of Peace. She went into seclusion with two of her disciples, Ann Underwood and Jane Townley. Her followers began to make preparations for the birth, but Southcott died on 27th December 1814.